This Russian Imperial Stout is dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, arguably one of the finest generals of World War II. Opaque black in color, with notes of espresso, chocolate, dark toffee and hints of backstrap molasses. The English hop varietals provide a subtle herbal dryness, and finishes with a hearty slap of roasty espresso. Pair Marshal Zhukov’s with Mushroom Solyanka, dark chocolate, cherries and ground wars in Russia.

We brew and release Zhukov's in the summer knowing that a beer of this heft reaches its full potential a few months after release. So save a bottle for the cold winter!

750 ml capped bomber into a couple of tulip glasses. Thanks go to Jw347 for this in a recent trade.

Pours black as motor oil coming out of the bottle, topped off with a ½ finger of burnt and blackened looking dark mocha head. There actually isn't a whole lot to the retention or lacing on this, as this peters out pretty quickly, but the amount of sticky brown oils that it leaves down the sides of the glass has you anticipating the dark decadence to come. The aroma is sharp in the nose at first with roasted coffee character, before a gooey smelling mix of chocolate and caramel malts rise up underneath. Citric green hops add some fresh green balance to this. Lot of beefy power here to the nose but I'm not getting any heat, as this merely amps up the robustness of the flavors.

The taste is thick and tangy in the mouth with chocolate fudge and toffee character up front. This is enveloped by crunchy burnt notes of roast and coffee, while a solid tingle of green and earthy feeling hops runs through the middle of the profile. The backend is heavy with leftover sweetness and citrus flavor before leading into dry roasted and zippy espresso finish. The mouthfeel is full, thick, and VERY chewy in the mouth. That 11% ABV is just beautifully hidden here, as you can feel just how big it is as it sits on the palate but there is absolutely no heat signatures coming out of this at all. Beefy but not boozy. Fantastic feel!

While not the most complex RIS out there, this doesn't have to be, thanks to the robustness, power, and most importantly balance of all of those huge flavors that are involved here. It's no wonder that this makes a perfect base for all of the different varieties that they put out of this beer. Just a well crafted Russian Imperial Stout with the alcohol content being right where I like it. (1,825 characters)

My first Cigar City beer. Can't wait to try it. Got this thanks to either msulinski or mikereaser who each got me a bottle. I got me a bottle to drink nows and one to ages fer the ages.

A: An aggressive pour into my SN 30th Ann. tulip/goblet/snifter glass yields a large 2+ finger black colored head that slowly fades and leaves its mark on the sides of the glass. The beer itself is so dark it makes "pitch black" look like yesterdays gray.

N: The word on the street, or in the glass is roast. Tons of it, that is. Lots of coffee with that, some black patent malt, crystal malts, sweetness, caramel, brown sugar, etc. Some earthy hops in the background as well. A slight creamy chocolate comes through lightly. A touch of booze. Reminds me a lot, and I mean A LOT! of Imperial Stout Trooper.

T: Wow. Pretty thick and kinda rich. It has that marshmellow and nuggat like taste that NightStalker had. Thick and chewy. Lots of malts, crystal, black patent, and tons of roast. Lots of roast and coffee. Some minerality with lots of scorched malts and some bitterness that comes with that. Some earthy spicy hops along for the ride. Some warming booze, slight alcohol sting and boozy taste. Semi sweet, and comes with some caramel. WIth that is a slight sweet candy bar, touch of bakers chocolate, creamy oatmeal, and nuggat.

F: Finish is pretty dry and gets really bitter. There is a nice combination of dry charred earthy scorched malts that adds a bunch of bitterness and a little minerality, as well as chewy earthy hops. A nice hop finish really. A touch of lingering sticky sweetness, and lots of lingering roast and coffee. Lots of lingering malts as well. Some bitterness and minerality on the back of the tongue as well. It really coats the mouth and sticks around. A touch of warming booze, but being 11.5% it hides it really well. I like this one, but it's hard to drink an entire 750ml by myself. I would like some smaller sizes or have to share with a friend next time. (2,066 characters)

~750ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a fucking gourgeous fucking head of perfect ideal cream, fantastic ideal thickness, and fantastic retentuion. Just about one of the best heads I've ever seen. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque jet black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. The retention is just plain amazing for the ABV. Mocha cream head. Incredible.

Dr: Obscenely drinkable for the high ABV, which is very well hidden. This is amazingly good. I'd definitely seek this out again. A home run from Cigar City. Surpasses my expectations. Damned incredible.

d - I thought this one was a great RIS. Tried it right before a Hunahpu and it's pretty similiar and equally enjoyable. I thought the alcohol was a little more prominent in MZ and Hunahpu had that spice for the peppers and more vanilla, but can't go wrong with either. Would love to have again. (813 characters)

Was down in FL for the holidays and I agreed to pick one of these up for someone in MD. The only place I could find it for sale in Gainesville was a beer bar that sold beer to go. I purchased the rather expensive (for me) bottle of beer and proceeded to drink the rest of the night away. The owner of the bar (and a friend of mine) asked me what beer I had bought to go and when I told him (he had not heard of it, been a busy 6 months for him) he promptly bought another one for he and I to share.

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass (Delirium tulip). Beer is viscous as it pours from the bottle into the glass, jet pitch as dark as can be black in color. Leaves a residue where the beer hits the side walls of the tulip. There isn't much head or carbonation (its 11% alcohol) but when you swirl the beer a big thick head of really dark brown bubbles (small combining into large) forms and falls away leaving a ton of lacing on the walls. The carbonation level cannot support the head. This beer looks amazing. I've never seen such a dark colored head.

The aroma is overwhelming and complex. The flavor of this beer had better not let me down, the aroma is beautiful. First off its strong. I stick my whole nose into the tulip and breath in. I can smell chocolate and sweet malt. The alcohol is there but its not solventy it adds to the experience and helps accent the roasted coffee flavors. The sweetness is the dominant flavor.

Time to drink finally. The beer was served a little too cold so I held the bowl of the glass in my hand for several minutes enjoying the aroma. Mouthfeel is good, big bodied despite the high ABV, lots of flavors that completely coat the mouth. The alcohol is not as obvious in the beer as it was in the aroma, the flavor is dominated by a strong sweetness (that the alcohol may be contributing to) in the front of a good full malt character and then an avalanche of roasted espresso and coffee in the back of the mouth. Beer continues to surprise by not having an aftertaste. The coffee flavor is present and lingers but there is not secondary flavors. This is a world class beer and one of the, if not the best, Russian Imperial Stout I have ever had. I'm sure the oak and cedar aged versions are even more complex and amazing. (2,268 characters)

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 7/11/2013. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense dark brown head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, molasses, toast, toffee, dark bread, tobacco, light char/smoke, raisin, prune, and roast/smoke earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of big dark/roasted malt and moderate dark fruit notes; with great strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, molasses, toast, toffee, dark bread, tobacco, light char/smoke, raisin, prune, and roast/smoke earthiness. Fair amount of roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roast, molasses, toast, toffee, dark bread, tobacco, light char/smoke, raisin, prune, and roast/smoke earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity and robustness of dark/roasted malt and moderate dark fruit flavors; with a great roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and slightly chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is an absolutely incredible imperial stout. All around awesome complexity and balance of big dark/roasted malt and moderate dark fruit flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. An incredibly amazing offering. (1,596 characters)

Taste: Lots of chocolate, roasted malts, and coffee. Then i get the dried cherries followed by toffee and earthy hops balancing it out. As the end there is some thick molasses.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and rich. Full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends roasted and malty, a little dry.

Overall, this is a solid RIS with lots of nice flavors that mix together. This is a sipper for me and I am glad I am sharing this with a few other BAs. I definitely recommend this one for the season. (811 characters)

The beer pours a deep, inky black color with a large brown head. The aroma has a ton of milk chocolate in it as well as some roasted malt and a little bit of cream. The flavor is similar, with a hint of light smoke and some very dark fruit up front (mainly prunes, plums and raisins), I also get a lot of chocolate and some very heavily roasted malt. Thick, creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. An excellent imperial stout, proving once again that when it comes to big, bold stouts, Cigar City is one of the best. (555 characters)

A: Pours a very thick black, very oily looking and viscous. A small brown colored head forms upon pouring and reduces to a thin cap on top. Minimal lacing.

S: Tons of molasses, it really dominates the aroma. There is some chocolate mixed in, a little bit of coffee, and faint roast. Definitely know its got some alcohol in it as well.

T: The flavor is certainly still full of molasses, but to a lesser extent. The chocolate is more pronounced, with some licorice and faint dark stone fruit. The roast comes through on the finish nicely, not much alcohol presence.

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slight warming as it goes down.

O: A big stout for sure. Really over powering in terms of thickness and sweetness, great if it is the only beer you plan on drinking. (779 characters)

Big thanks to Maggie for gifting me with this. Shared over the weekend and poured into a couple snifters. At first glance, this brew looks still. As I was pouring into the glasses, there was no head formation...shit! It looks absolutely black, the black coloration of this brew rivals the darkest brew's I have seen. A swirl of the glass releases a few bubbles which huddle together at the surface with a very dark brown color. More swirls finally form just shy of a fingers worth of head. Faint spotty lace sticks to the glass. Legs of sticky solution seemingly stain the glass and slowly creep down to the water line.

The smell of this brew is surprisingly tangy, unlike any other big RIS I have smelled. Alcohol is present even at colder than ideal temperatures. There is a fruity and citrus hop inclusion which contrasts the dark roasty malt characteristics which smell of chocolate and coffee. As the brew warms, it picks up a light smoked character which deepens the nose with notes of charcoal throughout. The citrus twang this brew has I cannot get over, it is very unique.

The taste mimics the nose. The first thing I taste is this citrus-like tangy alcohol component. Totally unique but interesting and appealing all at the same time. As more sips are taken, fruity and citrus hops are noted along with very dark roasted malts which bring forth a flavor of bitter chocolate, coffee, charcoal, molasses-like dark sugars and faint hints of must. The aftertaste includes some cocoa powder character.

This is a very full bodied, thick brew that is only exaggerated in it's smooth viscous feel due to it's low level of carbonation. It is very complex and enjoyable. A kiss of alcohol warms you up in this brew and seemingly evaporates from the tongue. This is a very well made brew. The carbonation could be turned up a few notches but all in all this is a solid brew. It's no wonder I enjoy the one-offs of this beer so much, this is an awesome foundation to start with and start tweaking flavors. (2,006 characters)

S: Very bold and roasted notes coming off; coffee, chocolate, toasted malts and bitter toffee. A touch of molasses comes through towards the back end of the aroma. It's very nice and although it has a wide variety of miniscule notes in it, the roast profile seems to be leading this down a one-dimensional path.

T: My initial reaction was that this is sweet, and it is. Big chocolate roast, bitter coffee and molasses notes hit first. Coming in towards mid-palate is a touch of anise, with roasted malts in the finish. The sweetness though lasts the entire time and after a while this beer got to be too much for me. I love big RIS but this is missing a serious balance.

M: Creamy, fairly thick, full-bodied with some lower carbonation. There's nothing wrong here other than it finishes a bit more dry than I like, even with its sweet characteristics.

Perhaps I was jaded by the outstanding complexity in the Hunahpu's but this just didn't live up to my expectations. It was a nice sipper with the right elements, but it was a bit too sweet and unbalanced. Perhaps some time in the bottle will do this beer justice but as it stands now, I'm not the biggest fan. (1,568 characters)

T: I love it when I'm really excited to try a beer and it totally measures up to the high expectations I had. Rich, big, robust, complex, delicious, with hints of chocolate. This is a big RIS, and done very well.

M: Aggressive without being hot, thick, great carbonation level, easy going down, especially for 11.5% abv. As the glass is emptied it looks like an oil slick took place where the beer used to be. Viscosity lives here.

D: I have another bottle in the cellar that I'm pretty excited about. Highly recommended. This is one of the best in the style. (675 characters)

Marshal is a black imperial stout oh yes he is. Black with a oil slickness, thick with no light able to peek through. A nice tight off white head with slimy lacing. Smells of deep roasted malt with chocolate and more malt. Tastes consist of the same with dark sweet chocolate and some coffee with some hops to go with it. Dark fruit with some alcohol but not intruding. Roasted malt with some underlining toffee. This is pretty well bodied and nicely carbed, not dead in the water. A nice slick feel with some bitterness in the end. Glad I got a chance to try this brew. (578 characters)

Bottle shared by Rhettroactive. Poured from a 750ml bottle into a snifter. It poured pitch black in color and very thick looking. It had a dark chocolate colored head clinging to the edges of the glass and scattered across the top of the beer. Great looking beer.

The aroma shows a lot of dark chocolate to it. I get some molasses and caramel sweetness out of it along with a little roasty bitterness. What I start to really notice though is a tart, somewhat fruity presence that has a bit of a raspberry like flavor to it. It gives it kind of a strange twist, but not enough to take away from all the other really good flavors.

The taste also shows a lot of dark, bitter-sweet chocolate to it throughout. The finish is where I get a stronger roasty, coffee like bitterness coming out. Again though I get a little bit of a fruity, tart, sweetness to it that just seems out of place.

The mouthfeel is thick and silky smooth with carbonation being moderate for the style. Overall it was a pretty good beer. I really liked the dark chocolate and roasty flavors but the fruity, sweet, tart, raspberry like flavors that I got just seemed out of place in it to me. Good beer but not great. (1,188 characters)

Pours viscous and dark black with chocolate edges. Dark mocha head, fades to a collar, with some legs. Roast malt and coffee nose, minimal sweetness or chocolate, mildly hoppy. Flavor is sweeter than nose, with caramel, coffee, chocolate, toffee, and pine. Thicker side of medium body with low carbonation; coats the palate and lingers well through finish with minimal heat. Other than the nose, this is an impressive RIS. (443 characters)

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at Smoke & Barrel in DC for the bottle share. Personal review #1500, woah it's been that many already? Off we go, much thanks to InfinityonTrial for bringing it.

It is a bit dark downstairs to truly see but the most impressive thing is a super dark mocha chocolate head that is created. Settles slowly with a whispy top, some speckled like lacing gets stuck in some of the legs, on a classic opaque walnut black body.

Nose hits with what seems like very solid roast coffee, with a mild chocolate sense. Good solid roast body, light bitterness and not burning my nostrils. Pretty solid, not earth shattering, but feels and sense quite decent.

On first sip I feel in love instantly. Wonderful dark rich bitter chocolate, with a creamy ganache like sense in the palate. Roasting warming coffee on the aftertaste. A real fascinating play on the bitter as well, there's this wonderful lime juice on the tongue of hop astringency while finishing. All miraculously melds together even after multiple sips, a warming roast quality of piping coffee, but no boozy character either.

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a a two finger frothy dark mocha/coffee colored head with good retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap. Splotches of spotty lacing are left behind.

Roasted chocolate malt aroma with hints of espresso/coffee bean, sweet milk and dark chocolate, licorice, molasses, honey as well as some subtle earthy hops. Not overly roasty with a good balance of sweet chocolate. The aroma is amazing and very complex.

Chewy viscous mouthfeel with a very prominent roasty character and tons of sweet silky chocolate maltiness. Lots of deep roasted cofee/espresso bean flavor up front and dry earthy hops with some pine character. This is countered by a silky dark and milky chocolate presence mid palate and a lot of rosted malt, molasses and burnt toast flavor. More roasty espresso and coffe bean presence in the finish. I thought that this beer would be a bit sweeter but it is very dry, bitter and roasty and the hop profile is much more dominant than I would have liked. This beer is a bit rough when fresh but I feel the flavor will improve greatly with age. ABV is very well masked. It's hard to believe it's 11%. (1,155 characters)

On tap at Capone's...Appears a jet, midnight black with a thick, dark tan head that slowly fades into a mild cap. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.Smell is of coffee, rich, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, freshly cracked grain, raisins, molasses, and a touch of maple.Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a nod to chocolate malts and ripe fruit, which take over.Mouthfeel is full bodied, syrupy, sticky, sweet, and roasty. (446 characters)

Received in trade from brewtechnik, thanks for the opportunity!Pours a thick black color with a huge dark chocolate mousse of a head that has exceptional retention and lacing. Smells of chocolate, caramel, licorice, dark fruits, vinous, brown sugar, spicy earthy hops. Well it smells wonderful, so far so good. The flavor is big and thick. Lots of Caramel chocolate and brown sugar up front. Then some licorice and fruits move in, some sweet some tart. A bit of earth and ash come in next before a long lingering bitter dark chocolate with just a touch of oxidation. Thick thick body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet creamy silky sweet mouthfeel. Damn that a big thick beer! I'll bet that's sitting somewhere around 1.050 right now. Aside from being a bit on the sweet side this is one flavorful brew. (818 characters)

Thanks for opening this one, Torry. Consumed on 11/23/2009 in a snifter. Pours out black like motor oil with a thick, creamy, two finger toffee brown head. Retention is excellent and lacing is scattered. The chocolate component reminds me of a dark chocolate cake. Booze is noticeable and there's and a dash of

The flavor opens with aggressive hops, alcohol, and burnt malt. Blackstrap molasses is evident, as well as a light toffee sweetness. The dark chocolate component is strong, and it reminds me a bit of a truffle. Dark fruit is subtle. The beer is pleasant thus far. Midpalate, the roast becomes overdone and the booze is too aggressive. I can't get over the strong char. The finish is dark chocolate, a strong burnt roast, and coffee. It's bitter, aggressive, acrid, and astringent.

Full bodied with an upper level of carbonation and a sticky, chewy, and syrupy mouthfeel. (1,168 characters)

Poured a thick black color with good carbonation.Nose is big and malty, with lots of chocolate and bitter. Taste is rough. Malty and bitter, chocolate, coffee, dark fruits a little sourness. Booze. Mouthfeel is bitter and dry, not appealing at all. Not one I would go back to.///Tried again at the South Sound gathering compliments of BA Piclee. I believe original review above was due to infection. This beer was phenom. One the biggest hearty RIS I have had. Big espresso, lots of charred notes, cocoa, and I even detected some smoked meats at times. (554 characters)

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. This beer looks pretty impressive, appearing almost viscuous like. The nose on this beer is impressive, with considerable coffee, dark chocolate and a hint of vanilla. Both on the nose and palate, this is really a pretty nice beer. On the palate, the beer is moderately sweet, with chocolate, coffee, stewed prunes and dark fruit. There is also a hint of hoppy bitterness in the finish, which enhances drinkability in this beer. The sweetness and light hoppy bitterness is well balanced in this beer. Mouthfeel is soft and fairly plush, with a fairly long finish. Alcohol is noticeable, but is not obtrusive or intrusive. This is really a pretty nice beer. (766 characters)